INTRODUCTION

The Ontario Student Record (OSR) is the record of a
student's educational progress through schools in Ontario. The Education
Act requires that the principal of a school collect information for
inclusion in a record in respect of each pupil enrolled in the school and to
establish, maintain, retain, transfer and dispose of the record. The act
also regulates access to an OSR and states that the OSR is privileged for
the information and use of supervisory officers and the principal and teachers
of the school for the improvement of instruction of the student. Each
student and the parent(s)1 of a student who is
not an adult (that is, a student who is under the age of eighteen) must be made
aware of the purpose and content of, and have access to, all of the information
contained in the OSR.

This guideline sets out the policies of the Ministry of
Education with regard to the establishment, maintenance, use, retention,
transfer, and disposal of the OSR. It replaces the Ontario Student Record
(OSR): Guideline, 1989.

This guideline will be revised as needed. Each page of the
guideline is dated, and replacement pages will be provided with a revision
date.

The contents of this guideline have been reviewed for compliance
with the provincial Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and
the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. When
implementing the policies contained in this guideline or set by the school
board,2 school staff must take into consideration
the requirements of the relevant freedom of information legislation.

The OSR folder, Ontario Student Transcript, documentation file folder,
and office index card are available from those vendors that are listed
on the ministry's website, at http://www.edu.gov.on.ca.
Samples of these OSR components are contained in appendices
A, C, D, and E, respectively, to this guideline.

Other forms needed for the OSR are available on the ministry's website.
Samples are provided in appendices F, G, H, I, J and K to this guideline.
School boards and schools may wish to download and print these forms themselves,
or they may have them printed by vendors of their choice. In either case,
no changes of any kind may be made to the forms.

1. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE OSR

An OSR will be established for each student who enrols in a
school operated by a school board or the Ministry of Education.3 Each student and the parent(s) of a student who is not
an adult must be informed of the purpose and content of the OSR at the time of
enrolment.

The OSR is an ongoing record and will be transferred, under the
conditions outlined in section 6 of this guideline, if the
student transfers to another school in Ontario.

Any part or parts of the OSR may be microrecorded or recorded
and stored electronically in a manner that permits the printing of a clear and
legible reproduction. Provision should be made to retain original documents
when it is important to keep an original signature or initial on a document.
Any microrecording, electronic file, reproduction, or facsimile of an OSR is
subject to the security and access requirements applicable to the original OSR.

If an OSR folder is lost or inadvertently destroyed, a new OSR
folder will be created. Previous information can be obtained from the current
office index card and, if applicable, from the card(s) at the previous
school(s). A notation will be made in the margin on the front of the new OSR
folder that gives the date on which the new folder was created and the reason.

The following schools in Ontario may choose to establish and
maintain an OSR for their students:

private schools

schools operated by Indian and Northern Affairs, Canada, in
First Nation communities (referred to as federal schools in this
document)

First Nation schools operated by Native education authorities

All schools that establish and maintain an OSR for their
students must do so in accordance with this guideline.

3. Schools operated by the ministry are Provincial Schools and Demonstration Schools.

2. RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE OSR

School boards are responsible for ensuring compliance with the
policies set out in this guideline. Boards will specify those persons
responsible for performing clerical functions with respect to the establishment
and maintenance of the OSR. Boards will also develop policies for determining:

the types of information beyond those specified in this
guideline that could be considered to be conducive to the improvement of the
instruction of the student;

the uses of the information and materials contained in the
OSR beyond those specified in this guideline (see section
3.4);

the relevance of the materials in the OSR, with a view to
removing those no longer considered to be conducive to the improvement of the
instruction of the student (see section 9);

the times other than those specified in this guideline at
which it could be considered appropriate to issue report cards (see
section 3.2.3.1);

the types of information beyond those required by this
guideline that could be added to the office index card (see section 3.5).

In addition, boards will develop procedures to be followed to ensure:

the security of the information contained in the OSR, whether
it is maintained electronically or in hard copy, during both the period of use
and the period of retention and storage;

the regular review of the OSR for the removal of any material
that is no longer considered to be conducive to the improvement of the
instruction of the student;

the storage of the OSR for the period specified in the
retention schedule (see section 8);

the complete and confidential disposal of material removed
from the OSR.

Boards will ensure that all persons that they assign to perform
clerical functions with respect to the establishment and maintenance of the OSR
are aware of the confidentiality provisions in the Education Act and the
relevant freedom of information and protection of privacy legislation.

It is the duty of the principal of a school to:

establish, maintain, retain, transfer, and dispose of a
record for each student enrolled in the school in compliance with this
guideline and the policies established by the board;

ensure that the materials in the OSR are collected and stored
in accordance with the policies in this guideline and the policies established
by the board;

ensure the security of the OSR;

ensure that all persons specified by a board to perform
clerical functions with respect to the establishment and maintenance of the OSR
are aware of the confidentiality provisions in the Education Act and the
relevant freedom of information and protection of privacy legislation.

3. COMPONENTS OF THE OSR

additional information identified as being conducive to the improvement of the instruction of the student

3.1 The OSR Folder

Principals must establish an OSR folder, Form 1A (see
appendix A), for students enrolling in school for the
first time after September 1, 1985. For students attending school who enrolled
in school before that date, the OSR folder Form 1 must be adjusted to
correspond to Form 1A (see appendix B). The folder will
contain the parts set out below in sections 3.1.1 to 3.1.7.

3.1.1 Biographical data: Part A

The following information will be provided:

the student's full name and date of birth (The principal
will indicate the method of verification on the folder  e.g.,
birth certificate, baptismal certificate, passport  and will initial and date the folder.)

a student number assigned by the school or the school board,
where applicable

a Ministry Identification Number (MIN) or Ontario Education
Number (OEN) assigned by the ministry, where applicable

3.1.2 Schools attended: Part B

The following information will be provided:

the name of each school that the student has attended

the name of the board, the name of the Native education authority,
or the name of the person who operated the private or federal school

the date of entry and the date of the last day of attendance
in each grade

the name of a teacher contact

Where the student is transferring to a school from an
educational institution that was not required to maintain an OSR, Part B may
include any information that will complete the record of schools previously
attended.

3.1.3 Retirement from an Ontario school:
Part C of Form 1A or Parts J and K of Form 1

The following information will be provided on retirement (see
also section 7):

the date of retirement

the student's address at retirement

the student's destination at retirement with respect to
further education or employment

3.1.4 Names of parent(s): Part D

The following information will be provided:

the first name of the student's parent(s) or the first
name and surname of the student's parent(s) when the surname of the latter
differs from that of the student

if applicable, the date of death of the parent(s) of a
student opposite the name of the deceased

3.1.5 Special health information: Part E

A summary of a student's special health conditions will be
included when such conditions are disclosed to the principal. Entries in Part E
will be dated and kept current.

3.1.6 Photographs and information on school activities: Parts F and G of Form 1A or Parts F, G, and I of Form 1

This information may be inserted if it satisfies the policies on
inclusion set out by the board (see section 2).

3.1.7 Additional information: Part H

The following information will be provided, if applicable:

the date on which the student enters a Supervised Alternative
Learning for Excused Pupils (SALEP) program (Regulation 308), as well as the
SALEP committee report, which is to be inserted in the OSR documentation file
(see section 3.4)

3.2 Report Cards

3.2.1 The Provincial Report Card, Grades 18

3.2.1.1 Use and completion

All school boards will use the Provincial Report Card, Grades
18, in all their elementary schools at least three times a year.

A completed Provincial Report Card, Grades 18 (all three
pages), or an exact copy of it, will be filed in the OSR folder for each
student who has been enrolled in the school for more than six weeks from the
commencement of the reporting period:

at the time of his or her transfer to another school; or

at the time of his or her retirement from school; or

at the end of each of three reporting periods, the first to
occur during the fall.

The Provincial Report Card, Grades 18, or an exact copy of
it, will be forwarded to the parent(s) of a student who is not an adult or to
the student if he or she is an adult.

3.2.1.2 Content

3.2.1.3 Quality of paper

The paper used to produce the report card must be suitable for
long-term storage.

3.2.1.4 Electronic format

School boards may use an electronic format of the Provincial
Report Card, Grades 18, to facilitate completion and use. However, a
completed Provincial Report Card, Grades 18, or an exact copy of the
report card, must be filed in the OSR as a hard copy.

3.2.2 The Provincial Report Card, Grades 912

3.2.2.1 Use and completion

Beginning with the 19992000 school year, boards will use
the Provincial Report Card, Grades 912, for students in Grade 9 in all
their secondary schools. Boards will use the Provincial Report Card, Grades
912, for students in Grades 9 and 10 in the 20002001 school year;
for students in Grades 9, 10, and 11 in the 20012 school year; and for
students in Grades 9 to 12 in the 20023 school year and thereafter.

A completed Provincial Report Card, Grades 912 (all three
pages), or an exact copy of it, will be filed in the OSR folder for each
student who has been enrolled in the school for more than six weeks from the
commencement of the reporting period:

at the time of his or her transfer to another school; or

at the time of his or her retirement from school; or

two times in each semester for semestered schools, the first
to occur during the fall; or

at the end of each of three reporting periods, the first to
occur during the fall, for non-semestered schools.

The Provincial Report Card, Grades 912, or an exact copy
of it, will be forwarded to the parent(s) of a student who is not an adult or
to the student if he or she is an adult.

3.2.2.2 Content

3.2.2.3 Quality of paper

3.2.2.4 Electronic format

School boards may use an electronic format of the Provincial
Report Card, Grades 912, to facilitate completion and use. However, a
completed Provincial Report Card, Grades 912, or an exact copy of the
report card, must be filed in the OSR as a hard copy.

A report card will be completed and filed in the OSR folder for
each student who has been enrolled in the school for more than six weeks from
the commencement of the reporting period:

at the time of his or her transfer to another school; or

at the time of his or her retirement from school; or

at the end of the school year; or

at the end of each semester, if the school is organized on a
semester plan; or

at such other times that the board may stipulate.

The report card or an exact copy of it will be forwarded to the
parent(s) of a student who is not an adult or to the student if he or she is an
adult.

3.2.3.2 Content

For those grades where there is no provincial report card, and
under the conditions indicated in section 3.2.3.1, a
school board will approve, for use in its schools, report cards that will
include the following:

the full name of the student, as recorded on the OSR folder

the name and address of the school and any other particulars
that may be required to identify the school

the name of the principal

the signature of the teacher

the signature of the principal

the record of attendance of the student at school

the date the report card is issued

for all courses taken, the student's level of
achievement (indicated by an anecdotal description, a percentage grade, or a
letter grade) or a statement that there has been insufficient time to assess
the achievement of the student

the grade in which the student is placed or to which he or she is promoted

for each secondary school course, the title and common course code of the course

for each secondary school course taken for credit, the value
of the credit(s) assigned to the course (expressed as a whole number or a
number with up to two decimal places), or for a course for which a credit is
not given, the words non-credit course

space for comment by the parent(s) of a student who is not an
adult or the student if he or she is an adult

the following statement to parents and students:

To Parents and Students

This copy of the report card should be
retained for reference. The original or an exact copy has been placed in the
student's Ontario Student Record (OSR) folder and will be retained for
five (5) years after the student leaves school.

3.2.3.3 Quality of paper

3.3 The Ontario Student Transcript (OST)

The requirements for the OST are outlined in the Ontario
Student Transcript (OST): Manual, 1999. Beginning with the
19992000 school year, the OST will be a cumulative and continuous record
of a student's successful completion of Grade 9 and 10 courses, successful
and unsuccessful attempts at completing Grade 11 and 12 courses and Ontario
Academic Courses, and completion of other diploma requirements. The OST is part
of the OSR. When it is maintained as a hard copy, it should be filed in the OSR
folder. When it is maintained electronically, a hard copy must be produced and
maintained in accordance with the Ontario
Student Transcript (OST): Manual, 1999. For a sample of the OST form,
see appendix C to this guideline.

3.4 The Documentation File

When a documentation file is required, it will be kept in the
OSR folder. A documentation file will be established when the following
information is required:

the statement of decision of an Identification, Placement,
and Review Committee (IPRC); the recommendation of an appeal board and the
decision of the school board regarding identification and/or placement, where
applicable; and a tribunal's decision regarding identification and/or
placement, where applicable

an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for a student receiving
special education programs and services

educational, psychological, and health assessments

an Intensive Support Amount (ISA) status form

the report of a Supervised Alternative Learning for Excused
Pupils (SALEP) committee

letters of request for a correction to, or a deletion from,
the record where the request has not been granted (see section
9)

other reports and/or information identified in accordance
with the policies established by the school board (see section
2)

When a report is requested from a professional,
paraprofessional, or other relevant person, that person should be advised that
the report will be filed in the OSR and will be subject to the access
provisions governing the OSR.

As with other material included in an OSR, these reports should
only be included if, in the principal's opinion, they are conducive to the
improvement of the instruction of the student.

4. See the ministry's publication Violence-Free Schools Policy, 1994, Part Two, Section V, "Record Keeping of Violent Incidents Leading to Suspension/Expulsion and Reports to the Police", pp.m 39-40, for details on the keeping of records on violent incidents.

3.5 The Office Index Card

The office index card provides the school with immediate access
to information about a student. It will remain at the school during the period
in which the student is enrolled at the school. The card is not filed in the
OSR folder and is not transferred with the OSR when the student transfers from
the school. A sample office index card is provided in appendix E.

The office index card will record the following information:

the full name of the student, as recorded on the OSR folder

the number assigned to the student by the school or school
board, where applicable

a Ministry Identification Number (MIN) or Ontario Education
Number (OEN) assigned by the ministry, where applicable

the gender of the student

the student's date of birth (year, month, day)

the name(s) of the student's parent(s)

if applicable, the name(s) of the individual(s) who has
(have) custody of the student

the student's current address and home telephone number,
as well as an emergency number if one has been provided

the dates (year, month, day) on which the student enrols in
the school, transfers from the school, and/or retires from school

the name and address of the school to which the student
transfers and the date on which the OSR is transferred

the student's address on the date of transfer or retirement

the name and address or some other means of identification of
the school from which the student is transferring or retiring

other information that is identified in accordance with the
policies established by the school board (see section 2)

When a student transfers to another school, or to a private,
federal, or First Nation school, or retires from school, the office index card
will be stored at the sending school or at a central record office provided by
the board.

3.6 Student Record of Accumulated Instruction in
French As a Second Language in elementary school

An individual record of accumulated instruction in French as a
second language will be established and maintained for each student enrolled in
an elementary school. The record will be kept on a card that is identical to
the one in appendix F, and will include all of the
information required for each entry. An entry will be made on the record:

at the end of a school year, semester, or summer course; and

when a student transfers to another school, including a
private, federal, or First Nation school; and

when a student retires from school.

If a student has had previous instruction in French but no
record is available, the entries on the card must be started at least from the
date of enrolment in an Ontario school. A note will be made on the first lines
of the instruction card indicating what is known about a student's
previous instruction in French as a second language and in other subjects
taught in French. If the number of accumulated hours must be estimated, an
annotation must indicate that the figure is approximate.

If a secondary school student challenges for credit for a Grade 10, 11,
or 12 course through the Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR)
challenge process, a record of all credits earned and attempted will be
established and will be maintained in the student's OSR. This record will
be kept on the form entitled "PLAR Challenge for Credit: Cumulative Tracking
Record" (see appendix K). The student's passing percentage grade,
failing percentage grade, or withdrawal from the challenge process must be entered
on this form. (If it is necessary to use more than one "Cumulative Tracking
Record" form to record a student's attempts to challenge for credit, the
additional form(s) should be attached to the original form.)

As stated in Policy/Program Memorandum No. 129, "Prior Learning Assessment
and Recognition (PLAR): Implementation in Ontario Secondary Schools",
issued July 6, 2001, there are two possible tracking forms – the "Cumulative
Tracking Record" and the "Interim Tracking Record". Only the "Cumulative
Tracking Record" form will be maintained in the student's OSR. If a student
earns a credit through the challenge process in a school outside his or
her regular school (the regular school is the school that maintains the
student's OSR), the principal of the school outside the student's regular
school will use the "Interim Tracking Record" form (provided in the memorandum)
to communicate the results of the student's challenges for credit to the
school that maintains the OSR. The principal of the student's regular
school will enter the information onto the "Cumulative Tracking Record"
form in the student's OSR.

4. ACCESS TO THE OSR

Access to an OSR means the right of those persons authorized by
the Education Act or other legislation to examine the contents of the OSR. In
addition, municipal and provincial freedom of information legislation permits
persons who have the right to have access to personal information to receive
copies of the information. This provision applies during both the period of use
of the OSR and the period of retention and storage.

Both the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of
Privacy Act, which applies to schools operated by school boards, and the
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, which applies to
Provincial and Demonstration Schools, prohibit institutions from releasing
personal information in their custody or under their control to anyone other
than the person to whom the information relates, except in certain
circumstances. These circumstances are defined in the legislation, and it is up
to the head of an institution to decide whether or not to grant access to
personal information in such circumstances. School boards should therefore
consult with their freedom of information coordinators to determine whether
they should develop policies on access to OSRs. Any such policies must be
developed in accordance with the legislation.

Boards should develop their own consent forms, which they must
use where the consent of the parent(s) or adult student is required for the
release of information from the OSR. It is not acceptable to use Form 14 for
this purpose; Form 14 should only be used for the release of clinical records
under the Mental Health Act.

4.1 Students

Every student has the right to have access to his or her OSR.

4.2 Parents

The parents of a student have the right to have access to the
student's OSR, until the student becomes an adult (age eighteen). Under
both the Children's Law Reform Act and the Divorce Act, 1985, the legal
right of a non-custodial parent to have access to a child includes the right to
make inquiries and to be given information concerning the child's health,
education, and welfare.

4.3 Educational Personnel

Under the Education Act, only supervisory officers and the
principal and teachers of the school have access to the OSR for the purpose of
improving the instruction of the student. As noted above, additional access may
be permitted under municipal and provincial freedom of information legislation,
under specified and limited circumstances.

4.4 Ministry and School Boards

The Education Act permits the compiling and delivery of
information contained in an OSR if it is required by the Minister of Education
or the school board. In instances where ministry staff members are seeking to
collect information from OSRs, students who are adults and parents of students
who are not adults will be notified.

4.5 Courts and Law Enforcement Agencies

Subsection 266(2) of the Education Act states that the OSR will
not be produced in the course of any legal proceedings. There may be occasions,
however, when access to the OSR of current students or former students will be
sought. In such cases, boards should obtain legal advice from their lawyers in
order to deal with such issues as the following:

whether the Education Act in fact prevents the production of the OSR

whether the OSR in question is relevant to the proceedings

if the OSR is relevant to the proceedings, whether a copy,
rather than the original, may be submitted to the court

Both the municipal and provincial freedom of information acts
permit disclosure of personal information for the purposes of law enforcement.
The conditions for disclosure and the definition of law enforcement
are contained in the legislation. School boards should consult with their
freedom of information coordinators and their legal counsel to determine
whether they should develop policies on the disclosure of personal information
in an OSR to courts and law enforcement agencies.

In court proceedings, subject to an appeal, the judge's
order must be followed. If a principal receives a court order requiring the
release of an OSR, the principal should contact the board's legal counsel.
Although court orders must be followed, the principal should obtain legal
advice about the issues listed above.

4.5.1 Civil suits

A principal may be served with a subpoena requiring that he or
she appear in court on a particular date and bring part or all of an OSR. If a
principal receives a subpoena, he or she must comply with it, but should obtain
legal advice from the board's legal counsel about the issues in
section 4.5 above.

As a general rule, the principal should go to court with both
the original OSR and a complete and exact photocopy of it, and should propose
to the judge that the photocopy be submitted instead of the original. The
principal should also inform the judge that the subpoena is inconsistent with
subsection 266(2) of the Education Act. The principal must, however, relinquish
the documents if ordered to do so by the judge.

4.5.2 Cases involving the Criminal Code

The Criminal Code is federal legislation; where there is a
conflict between it and provincial legislation, it takes precedence. Therefore,
if a principal is served with a search warrant under the Criminal Code
requiring the surrender of an OSR to the police, or is served with a subpoena
requiring his or her appearance at court with the OSR, he or she is obliged to
comply with the search warrant or the subpoena. In both cases, the principal
should obtain legal advice from the board's legal counsel about any
relevant issues, including those in section 4.5. The
principal should also inform the relevant authority (i.e., the police or the
judge) that the use of any part(s) of the OSR as evidence in court proceedings
is inconsistent with subsection 266(2) of the Education Act. The principal
should present the police or the judge with both the original OSR and a
complete and exact photocopy of it, and should propose that the photocopy be
submitted instead of the original.

4.5.3 Provisions under the Child and Family Services Act

Under the Child and Family Services Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.11,
it is possible for a court to order a principal of a school to produce a
student's OSR for inspection and copying. A court may make such an order
if it is satisfied that (a) a record contains information that may be relevant
to a consideration of whether a child is suffering abuse or likely to suffer
abuse, and (b) the person in control of the record has refused to permit a
Children's Aid Society director to inspect it. If a principal receives a
court order under the Child and Family Services Act, he or she should seek
legal advice about how to comply with it.

5. USE AND MAINTENANCE OF THE OSR

Information from an OSR may be used to assist in the preparation
of a report required under the Education Act or the regulations made under it.
Information from an OSR may also be used in the preparation of a report for an
application for further education or an application for employment, if a
written request for such a report is made by an adult student, a former
student, or the parent(s) of a student.

The freedom of information legislation sets out criteria for the
use of personal information. The purposes for which personal information in a
student's OSR is being used must be consistent with the policies in this
guideline and with school board policies. Students who are adults and parents
of students who are not adults should be informed of the uses of personal
information at the time that that information is collected for inclusion in an OSR.

The contents of the OSR should be reviewed on a regular basis
according to the policies established by the school board to ensure that they
remain conducive to the improvement of the instruction of the student. Any such
review must comply with the provisions of section 9 of this
guideline.

6. TRANSFER OF THE OSR

The transfer of the OSR means the transfer of all parts of the
OSR other than the office index card (see section 3.5 for
information on the index card). Subject to the conditions outlined below, the
original OSR is transferable only to schools in Ontario.

When a student transfers to another school in Ontario, the
receiving school must be sent written notification of the student's
transfer (see form in appendix G) indicating that the
student's OSR will be sent upon receipt of an official written request
(see form in appendix H or I). When a student transfers
to another school outside Ontario, only a copy of the student's OSR may be
sent upon receipt of an official written request from the receiving school. See
sections 6.1 to 6.3.

If the original OSR is being transferred between schools
operated by the same school board, it may be transferred by a delivery service
provided by the board.

If the original OSR is being transferred to a school in another
board, to a private, federal, or First Nation school, or to a Provincial or
Demonstration School, it must be transferred by Priority Post or an equivalent
delivery method that is approved by the board and that maintains
confidentiality and guarantees prompt delivery.

If some or all of the information in the OSR has been
microrecorded or stored electronically and if the receiving school is capable
of receiving this information in microrecorded form or electronically in such a
way that the OSR can be effectively reproduced or viewed, the information may
be transmitted to the receiving school either as a microrecording or by
electronic transmission in advance of the paper parts of the OSR.

If a school is transmitting OSR information electronically or by
means of facsimile, arrangements must be made to ensure the secure and
confidential transfer of the information.

6.1 Transfer to a school in Another Board or to a Provincial or Demonstration School in Ontario

Before a principal transfers an original OSR to a school
operated by another school board in Ontario, or to a Provincial or
Demonstration School in Ontario, the principal must receive a written request
for the information from the principal of the receiving school. A sample form
for indicating this official request for information is provided in
appendix H.

6.2 Transfer to a Private, Federal, or First Nation School in Ontario

Before a principal transfers an original OSR to an inspected
private school, a non-inspected private school, or a federal or First Nation
school in Ontario, the principal must have received:

a written request for the information from the receiving
school, in which the school agrees to accept responsibility for the OSR and to
maintain, retain, transfer, and dispose of the OSR in accordance with this
guideline (see appendix I); and

a written statement indicating consent to the transfer, which
is signed by the parent(s) of the student if he or she is not an adult, or by
the student if he or she is an adult.

6.3 Transfer to an Educational Institution Outside Ontario

An original OSR may not be transferred outside Ontario. Only an
exact copy of the OSR may be sent to the principal of an educational
institution outside Ontario after the principal who is responsible for the OSR
has received:

a written request for the information from the principal of
the educational institution outside Ontario; and

a written statement indicating consent to the transfer, which
is signed by the parent(s) of the student if he or she is not an adult, or by
the student if he or she is an adult.

7. RETIREMENT OF A STUDENT

A student retires from school when he or she ceases to be
enrolled in school. A student is not considered to have retired if he or she
(a) withdraws for a temporary period with the written consent of the principal,
or (b) transfers to another school in Ontario.

When a student retires from the school that maintained an OSR
for the student, the principal will give the following to the parent(s) of the
student if he or she is not an adult, or to the student if he or she is an
adult:

an up-to-date copy of the student's OST, if applicable

the information and materials stored in the OSR folder that
are not required to be retained under the retention schedule provided in
section 8

8. RETENTION, STORAGE, AND DESTRUCTION OF INFORMATION IN THE OSR

Regulations under freedom of information legislation require
that personal information that has been used by an institution be retained by
the institution for at least one year after use, unless the individual to whom
the information relates consents in writing to its earlier disposal. Therefore,
any personal information placed in an OSR should be retained by the school for
at least one year after use, unless the principal receives written consent to
its earlier disposal.

The following components of the OSR will be retained for five
years after a student retires from school:

report cards

the documentation file, where applicable

additional information that is identified by the school board
as appropriate for retention

The following components of the OSR will be retained for
fifty-five years after a student retires from school:

the OSR folder

the OST

the office index card

The destruction of all or any part of the OSR when its retention
is no longer required under this guideline will be effected under conditions
that ensure the complete and confidential disposal of the record.

9. CORRECTION OF REMOVAL OF INFORMATION IN THE OSR

If certain information or material in an OSR folder is
determined, according to the board's policies, to be no longer conducive to the
improvement of the instruction of the student, the principal will have the
information or material removed from the OSR folder. Such information will be
given to the parent(s) of a student who is not an adult or to the student if
the student is an adult, or it will be destroyed (see section 8).

If the parent(s) or adult student is (are) of the opinion that
the information contained in the student's OSR is inaccurately recorded or
that it is not conducive to the improvement of the instruction of the student,
the parent(s) or adult student may request in writing that the principal
correct the alleged inaccuracy or remove the information from the record. If
the principal complies with the request, the material will be corrected or will
be removed from the file and destroyed or returned to the parent(s) or the
adult student, and no record of the request will be retained in the OSR.

If the principal refuses to comply with the request, the
parent(s) or the adult student may request in writing that the principal refer
the request to the appropriate supervisory officer. The supervisory officer
will either (a) require that the principal comply with the request, or (b)
submit the OSR and the request to a person designated by the Minister of
Education. If the supervisory officer requires that the principal comply with
the request, no record of the request will be retained in the OSR. If the
supervisory officer submits the request to a person designated by the Minister,
that person will hold a hearing, which the principal and the person(s) who made
the request will attend. After the hearing, the person designated by the
Minister will make a decision on the matter. This decision will be final and
binding. If the person designated by the Minister requires that the principal
comply with the request, no record of the request will be retained in the OSR.
If the person designated by the Minister denies the request, the original
request, including the date on which it was made, and the statement of this
final decision will be retained in the documentation file.

Freedom of information legislation also permits persons to
request that recorded personal information be corrected.

Every principal will ensure that no OSR discloses (a) the
contravention or alleged contravention by a student of any statute or
regulation to which the Young Offenders Act or Part V- A of the Provincial
Offences Act applies, or (b) the disposition of any proceedings brought under
those statutes or regulations. If an entry in an OSR does disclose such
information, the principal of the school in which the student is enrolled will
ensure that the entry is altered appropriately or deleted from the OSR.

10. CHANGE OF SURNAME

10.1 Change by Repute

When a principal receives a written request from an adult
student or the parent(s) of a student who is not an adult that the student be
identified by a surname other than the legal surname of the student and when
(a) the student is known by a surname other than his or her legal surname, (b)
the surname is a name obtained by repute, and (c) the use of the surname is in
the student's best interests, the principal will record the requested
surname in Part A of the OSR folder in addition to the legal surname of the
student, and the requested surname will be used henceforth. In this case, the
legal surname will be enclosed in brackets. The written request will be stored
in the documentation file (see section 3.4).

10.2 Change by Marriage

When a principal receives a document that establishes that a
student for whom the principal maintains an OSR has had his or her surname
changed by marriage, the principal will file the document, a copy of the
document, or a verification of his or her knowledge of the document in the
documentation file, and will change the surname of the student on all current
and future components of the OSR.

10.3 Change by Law

When a principal receives a document that establishes that a
student for whom the principal maintains an OSR has had his or her surname
changed in accordance with the law of the province, state, or country in which
the document was made, the principal will file the document, a copy of the
document, or a verification of his or her knowledge of the document in the
documentation file, and, on request, will change the surname of the student on
all components of the OSR so that the record will appear as if originally
established in the new surname.

11. CONTINUING EDUCATION RECORDS

For each student enrolled in a school board continuing education
course or program for the purpose of achieving an Ontario secondary school
credit or credits, the principal of the continuing education course or program
will establish an office index card, which will contain the following
information:

the full name of the student

the number assigned to the student by the school or school
board, where applicable

a Ministry Identification Number (MIN) or Ontario Education
Number (OEN) assigned by the ministry, where applicable

the gender of the student

the student's date of birth (year, month, day) and the
source used to verify the date

if applicable, the name(s) of the individual(s) who has
(have) custody of the student and for whom verification of the custody order is
included in the documentation file

the student's current address and home telephone number,
as well as an emergency number if one has been provided

the dates (year, month, day) on which the student enrols in
the program, transfers from the program, and/or retires from the program

the name and address of the school to which the student transfers and the date

the student's address on the date of transfer or retirement

the name and address or some other means of identification of the continuing
education program from which the student is transferring or retiring

other information that is identified in accordance with the
policies established by the school board (see section 2)

The OST will be maintained by the principal of the continuing
education program. If, however, the student is also enrolled in a day school
program, the principal of the continuing education program will forward
information on credits earned to the principal of the day school program for
inclusion in the student's OST.

APPENDICES

To retain important formatting, the following appendices are made available in Adobe Acrobat format. To view and print them, you'll need to have the Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. You can download the free software from the Adobe website.